GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Festuca nemoralis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long; 4 mm diam.; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes black; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades flat; 4–4.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 25–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches 3–5 -nate; whorled at most nodes. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches flexuous; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.5–6 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1 mm long overall; deciduous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Turpe 1995.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.